Conroy concedes media bills might get split

Embattled Federal Communications minister Stephen Conroy has conceded the government's likely to see its media reform package dealt with as separate bills, as he scrambles to try to salvage any of the measures in the face of doubting independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor.

"The bills are a package in terms of a policy agenda but in terms of how they are voted on in parliament they're still voted on in a way I would imagine that are going to be each bill as they go," Senator Conroy told 702 ABC Sydney Mornings.

After Mr Oakeshott and Mr Windsor publicly declared they would not accept the government's "take it or leave it" ultimatum to pass the legislation, Mr Conroy was forced to back down on splitting the bills.

But that's likely to mean the key measure, a government-appointed Public Interest Media Advocate, would still fail, emasculating the Federal government's stated aim of beefing up oversight of the Press Council.

Newspaper proprietors have been at Senate hearings in Canberra this week blasting the government for attacking free speech with the move.

Speaking on Mornings, Senator Conroy said the government was committed to a Press Council that is run by neither the government nor proprietors.